Attachment for chairs.



G. W. HAAS.

, ATTACHMENT FOR GHAIRS. APPLIGATION FILED JULY 15. 1909.

946,842.- Patented Jan.18,191o.

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0 n T, ffy-f -ffwgv im@ "s Eg GUSTI-UTE W. I-IAAS, GF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

ATTACHMENT FR CHAIRS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed July 15, 1909.

Patented J an. 18, 1910.

seran no. 507,744.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, GUs'rAvn YV. Haas, a citizen of the United States, residing at Los Angeles, county of Los Angeles, and State of California, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in rrttachments for Chairs; and l do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming apart of this specification, and to the figures and letters of reference marked thereon.

This invention relates to improvement in attachments for chairs, the object being to provide means whereby an ordinary chair may be easily converted into a rolling chair, and which may be packed in small compass for storage or transportation.

To these ends the invention consists in certain novel details of construction and combinations and arrangements of parts all as will be now described and the particular features of novelty pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings, wherein is illustrated a preferred embodiment of the invention-Figure l is a perspective view of a rocking chair which has been converted into a rolling chair with appliances embodying the present invention. F ig. 2 is a detail elevation of one of the front wheels with the clamp and frame carried thereby.

Similar letters of reference in the several figures indicate the same parts.

The chair illustrated, and which has been converted into a rolling chair is an ordinary ratan or wicker rocker, but it will be understood that the construction of the chair is immaterial and any chair may be utilized.

As shown, the front wheels A which are preferably provided with pneumatic tires to insure ease and comfort to the occupant of the chair are journaled on the outer ends of stub axles a. Clamp frames C are provided with inwardly extending sleeves c, through which the stub axles pass, the frames being held in place upon the axles preferably by set screws c. The clamp frames C have clamps C', C2 on the inner sides by which the frames and wheels may be secured to the rocker of the chair. The inner ends of the stub axles are received within the ends of a hollow tube or sleeve E, by which the two frames and axles of the wheels will be held in proper alineinent and the structure braced. ln the preferred construction clamp frames C are provided with lugs c3 adapted to receive adjustable rods F which latter, at their forward ends, carry telescoping sections of a crossrod F, forming a foot rest.

To the rockers of the chair are secured rear clamp frames Gr by means of clamps G and these clamp frames are formed with sleeves or sockets G3 for the reception of a cross-shaft H. This shaft is held firmly in place by set screws g, and is adapted to carry an adjustable caster wheel sleeve or socket It having a sleeve it for the shaft, said socket being held in place on the shaft by set screw h2. rEhe caster wheel K is our- 1 aled in a bifurcated yoke or frame le, from the upper portion of which extends a spindle /c passing through the sleeve or socket 7L, the spindle lo being provided with a series of holes through which may be passed a pin /tg to prevent the accidental dropping of the caster wheel. lf desired, a bearing block 7c3 may be interposed between the socket t and caster wheel frame on the spindle c, and by providing blocks of different length or by the usc of washers, the inclination of the chair may be fixed at the most comfortable angle. The caster wheel K will adapt itself to the movement of the chair in any direction, as will be readily understood. It will be seen that the attachment as thus far described when applied to a chair will adapt it to be pushed about by an attendant, but as it is very desirable that the occupant of the chair may propel himself, a driving mechanism is provided as follows: rlhe front wheels A are each provided or formed with sprocket wheels L preferably located on the inner sides of said wheels, and socket members M, having split bearings m are clipped or clamped about the sleeves o on the clamp frames C. By such a construction it is possible to adjust the angular position of the socket member M about said sleeve without changing the position of the clamping frames. Fitting in each of the socket members M are standards or posts N held' firmly in the socket by set screws n and upon each standard N is slidably mounted a sleeve a having a sleeve a2 held in position upon the standard by set screws n3. In the sleeves n2 are journaled small sprocket wheels O each having or the shaft of each provided with crank handles P, in convenient position to be operated by the occupant of the chair. Sprocket chains Q pass around the sprocket wheels L and O.4 In order to make a rigid frame and, it' desired, to aid in supporting the weight of the occupant of the, chair, a cross-brace or rod R is extended beneath the chair seat, the ends of the rod being held in sleeves r-r movably mounted on the rods or standards N and held in position thereon by set screws r2.

From the above description, it will be seen that by this attachment an ordinary chair may be readily converted into a rolling chair, which the occupanty may himself propel manually. Also that by the adjustability of the various parts, the attachment may be applied to chairs of different sizes, and by varying the angular position of the socket carrying the uprights or standards, the crank handles may be brought to proper positions to suit different persons.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

1. An attachment for chairs embodying` a rear caster wheel frame with means for securing it to the chair, front supporting wheels journaled on stub axles and having sprocket wheels thereon, clamp frames in which said stub axles are supported and having clamps for securing said frames to the chair, upright standards or posts carried by said stub axles, crank handles having sprocket wheels connected therewith and adjustably mounted on said uprights; and sprocket chains connecting the wheel and handle sprockets.

An attachment for chairs, embodying front supporting wheels journaled on stub axles, clamp frames in which said axles arc carried having clamps for securing said frames to the chair, uprights or posts carried by said stub axles and angularly adjustable in relation thereto, sprocket wheels carried by the front wheels, crank handles having sprocket wheels ournaled in bearings on said standards or uprights, sprocket chains connecting said sprocket wheels, and aV caster wheel frame and wheel for the rear of the chair.

8. An attachment for chairs, embodying liront supporting wheels journaled on stub axles, clamp frames having inwardly extending sleeves in which said stub axles are received, socket members clamped on said sleeves and angularly adjustable thereon, uprights or posts carried by said sockets,

sprocket wheels carried by the front wheels, crank handles having sprocket wheels carried by said standards, sprocket chains connecting said sprocket wheels and a rear caster frame and wheel for the rear of the chair.

Ll. An attachment for chairs embodying front supporting wheels journaled on stub axles7 clamping frames in which said axles are carried, standards or uprights carried by said axles, sprocket wheels carried by said front wheels, crank handles having sprocket wheels carried by said uprights, a cross-brace connecting said uprights and eX- tending beneath the chair seat, and a caster frame and wheel for the rear of the chair.

5. An attachment for chairs embodying front supporting wheels journaled on stub axles, clamp frames through which said stub axles project, a telescopic connection bctween said stub axles, standards on the clamp frame, a telescopic connection between the standards, sprocket wheels carried by the front wheels, sprocket wheels journaled in bearings on the standards, means for driving said sprocket-wheels and sprocket chains connecting the sprocket wheels.

6. An attachment for chairs, embodying front supporting wheels journaled on stub axles, clamp frames through which said stub axles project, a telescopic connection between said stub axles, standards on said stub axles, a telescopic connection between said standards adjustable thereon, sprocket wheels carried by the front wheels, crank handles having sprocket wheels journaled in bearings on the standards, and sprocket chains connecting the sprocket wheels.

7. An attachment for chairs, embodying front supporting wheels, journaled on stub axles, clamp frames through which said stub axles project, a telescopic connection between said axles, standards on the stub axles, a telescopic connection between the standards adjustable thereon, crank handles having sprocket wheels journaled in bearings adjustably mounted on the standards, sprocket wheels carried by the front supporting wheels and sprocket chains connecting the sprocket wheels.

GUSTAVE W. HAAS. lVitnesses JOHN B. HAAs, T. J. K. MAoGowEN. 

